Zacijelo bi se obradovao da je vidi i čuje koliki je put prevalila radi njega, te da sazna koliko su svi tugovali kad ga nije bilo.

He would certainly be glad to see her, and to hear what a long distance she had come for his sake, and to know how sorry they had been at home because he did not come back.

O, bješe straha i radosti u Gerdinim osjećajima.

Oh what joy and yet fear she felt!

Eto ih već na stubama. Na ormaru gori mala svjetiljka, nasred poda stoji pitoma vrana, maše glavom tamo i ovamo te promatra Gerdu, koja se pokloni, kako ju je baka naučila.

They were now on the stairs, and in a small closet at the top a lamp was burning. In the middle of the floor stood the tame crow, turning her head from side to side, and gazing at Gerda, who curtseyed as her grandmother had taught her to do.

— Moj mi je zaručnik, mala gospoñice, tako lijepo o vama govorio — prozbori pitoma vrana. — Jako me se kosnula vaša povijest, to jest vaš život. Ali uzmite ovu svjetiljku, a ja ću poći naprijed. Idemo dobrim putem gdje nećemo nikoga sresti.

“My betrothed has spoken so very highly of you, my little lady,” said the tame crow, “your life-history, Vita, as it may be called, is very touching. If you will take the lamp I will walk before you. We will go straight along this way, then we shall meet no one.”

— Sve mi se čini da za nama netko ide — šapnu Gerda, a nešto kraj nje šušnu. Bješe kao da se sjene po zidu šuljaju, tankonogi konji s grivom što vijori, lovci, gospoda i gospoñe na konjima.

“It seems to me as if somebody were behind us,” said Gerda, as something rushed by her like a shadow on the wall, and then horses with flying manes and thin legs, hunters, ladies and gentlemen on horseback, glided by her, like shadows on the wall.

— To su samo sni — kaza joj vrana; — dolaze da kneginji i kneževiću svrnu misli na lov. A dobro je tako, jer ćemo ih barem moći bolje u postelji motriti. Nadam se, gospoñice, da nećete biti nezahvalni kada doñete do časti.

“They are only dreams,” said the crow, “they are coming to fetch the thoughts of the great people out hunting.” “All the better, for we shall be able to look at them in their beds more safely. I hope that when you rise to honor and favor, you will show a grateful heart.”

— Nije potrebno ni spominjati! — oglasi se šumski vran, vranin zaručnik.

“You may be quite sure of that,” said the crow from the forest.

U tim riječima uñoše u prvu dvoranu. Zidovi joj bijahu obloženi svilom crvenom kao ruže, a protkanom samim umjetnim cvijećem. I ondje kraj njih šušnuše sni, ali projuriše poput vihora, tako te Gerda nije stigla vidjeti gospodu na konjima.

They now came into the first hall, the walls of which were hung with rose-colored satin, embroidered with artificial flowers. Here the dreams again flitted by them but so quickly that Gerda could not distinguish the royal persons.

Zaredaše dvorane sve jedna ljepša od druge — bijaše zaista da čovjek obnevidi od pustoga krasa. Naposljetku stigoše u ložnicu.

Each hall appeared more splendid than the last, it was enought to bewilder any one. At length they reached a bedroom.

Strop joj poput velike palme, s lišćem od stakla, od samoga skupocjena prozirca, a nasred spavaonice, o debelu zlatnu dršku, vise dvije postelje baš kao dva ljiljana:

The ceiling was like a great palm-tree, with glass leaves of the most costly crystal, and over the centre of the floor two beds, each resembling a lily, hung from a stem of gold.

u jednoj, bijeloj, spava kneginjica, a u drugoj, crvenoj, htjede Gerda naći malog Kaya. Djevojčica maknu u stranu jedan od crvenih listova i ugleda smeñ zatiljak. »Oh, pa to je Kay!«

One, in which the princess lay, was white, the other was red; and in this Gerda had to seek for little Kay. She pushed one of the red leaves aside, and saw a little brown neck. Oh, that must be Kay!

pomisli ona te glasno izgovori njegovo ime i primaknu bliže svjetiljku, a snovi na konjima izletješe iz sobe — knežević se probudi, okrenu glavu — i gle: ne bijaše mali Kay.

She called his name out quite loud, and held the lamp over him. The dreams rushed back into the room on horseback. He woke, and turned his head round, it was not little Kay!

Knežević je samo po zatiljku bio nalik na nj, ali bijaše mlad i divan. Uto se probudi i kneginjica u bijelom ljiljanu te upita što se zbiva. Mala Gerda briznu u plač i ispriča im svoju povijest i sve što su vran i vrana za nju učinili.

The prince was only like him in the neck, still he was young and pretty. Then the princess peeped out of her white-lily bed, and asked what was the matter. Then little Gerda wept and told her story, and all that the crows had done to help her.

— Oh, mala sirotice! — rekoše knežević i kneginjica te pohvališe i vrana i vranu, kazujući kako se ne srde, ali da to više ne smiju učiniti. A za ovo će ih još nagraditi.

“You poor child,” said the prince and princess; then they praised the crows, and said they were not angry for what they had done, but that it must not happen again, and this time they should be rewarded.

— Želite li slobodno letjeti — upita kneginjica — ili pak želite stalno mjesto, da vas imenujem dvorskim vranama, s pravom na sve kuhinjske otpatke?

“Would you like to have your freedom?” asked the princess, “or would you prefer to be raised to the position of court crows, with all that is left in the kitchen for yourselves?”

I vran i vrana duboko se pokloniše i zamoliše da im daju stalnost, jer pomišljahu na starost i u sebi govorahu: »Dobro je da pod stare dane štogod imaš.«

Then both the crows bowed, and begged to have a fixed appointment, for they thought of their old age, and said it would be so comfortable to feel that they had provision for their old days, as they called it.

Knežević ustade iz postelje i ponudi Gerdi da u njoj spava — više zaista nije mogao učiniti.

And then the prince got out of his bed, and gave it up to Gerda,—he could do no more; and she lay down.

Djevojčica sklopi ručice i pomisli: »Kako su ipak dobri ljudi i životinje.« Nato zaklopi oči i blago usnu.

She folded her little hands, and thought, “How good everyone is to me, men and animals too;” then she closed her eyes and fell into a sweet sleep.

Snovi opet uletješe, ali sad bijahu poput anñela te uzeše vući male saonice na kojima sjedi Kay i kima glavom… Ali sve to bješe sanak pusti što se rasplinuo čim se Gerda probudila.

All the dreams came flying back again to her, and they looked like angels, and one of them drew a little sledge, on which sat Kay, and nodded to her. But all this was only a dream, and vanished as soon as she awoke.

Sutradan je od glave do pete odjenuše u svilu i kadifu. Ponudiše joj da ostane u njih na dvorima, gdje će joj krasno biti. Ali Gerda zamoli da joj daju mala kola s jednim konjem te par malih čizama, jer je naumila opet u svijet, tražiti Kaya.

The following day she was dressed from head to foot in silk and velvet, and they invited her to stay at the palace for a few days, and enjoy herself, but she only begged for a pair of boots, and a little carriage, and a horse to draw it, so that she might go into the wide world to seek for Kay.

Dadoše joj čizmice i malen kolčak i krasno je odjenuše, a kad poñe, dvoru pred vratima stajaše nova novcata kočija od suhoga zlata. Na kočiji kao zvijezda blistao kneževski grb. Kočijašu, slugama i predjahačima — jer i njih bijaše — zablistale krune na glavi;

And she obtained, not only boots, but also a muff, and she was neatly dressed; and when she was ready to go, there, at the door, she found a coach made of pure gold, with the coat-of-arms of the prince and princess shining upon it like a star, and the coachman, footman, and outriders all wearing golden crowns on their heads.

sam joj knežević i kneginjica pomogoše da uñe u kočiju i poželješe joj sretan put.

The prince and princess themselves helped her into the coach, and wished her success.

Vran, koji se meñutim vjenčao sa svojom zaručnicom, otprati Gerdu tri milje. Sjedio je u kočiji djevojčici sa strane, jer nije podnosio da se vozi natraške. Pitoma vrana stajala dvoru na vratima i mahala krilima; nije pošla u pratnju, jer ju je glava boljela: odonda, kako je dobila stalnost u službi, previše jede.

The forest crow, who was now married, accompanied her for the first three miles; he sat by Gerda’s side, as he could not bear riding backwards. The tame crow stood in the door-way flapping her wings. She could not go with them, because she had been suffering from headache ever since the new appointment, no doubt from eating too much.

U kočiji bila sva sila slatkiša, a pod sjedalom obilje voća i kolača.

The coach was well stored with sweet cakes, and under the seat were fruit and gingerbread nuts.

— Zbogom, zbogom! — dovikivahu knežević i kneginjica. Mala se Gerda rasplakala, a s njome i vran suze lio. Tako prevališe prve milje, a nato se i on s njome pozdravi, no teška se srca rastadoše.

“Farewell, farewell,” cried the prince and princess, and little Gerda wept, and the crow wept; and then, after a few miles, the crow also said “Farewell,” and this was the saddest parting.

Vran prhnu na drvo i stade mahati crnim krilima dokle god mogaše vidjeti kočiju što se u daljini sjala kao sunce.

However, he flew to a tree, and stood flapping his black wings as long as he could see the coach, which glittered in the bright sunshine.

Peta priča. Mala razbojnica

Fifth Story: Little Robber-Girl

Prolazili su tamnom šumom, a kočija blistala poput zublje.

The coach drove on through a thick forest, where it lighted up the way like a torch, and dazzled the eyes of some robbers, who could not bear to let it pass them unmolested.

To je razbojnike bolo u oči, oni to ne mogahu trpjeti.
— Pa to je suho zlato! — povikaše razbojnici pa iskočiše iz zasjede, pograbiše konje, ustaviše od zlata kočiju, pobiše jahače, kočijaša i sluge, a onda izvukoše malu Gerdu.

“It is gold! it is gold!” cried they, rushing forward, and seizing the horses. Then they struck the little jockeys, the coachman, and the footman dead, and pulled little Gerda out of the carriage.

— Tusta je i lijepa kao da su je samim orasima kljukali! — promrsi stara razbojnica, kojoj po bradi bijahu probile duge, oštre dlake, a guste joj obrve pale preko očiju.

“She is fat and pretty, and she has been fed with the kernels of nuts,” said the old robber-woman, who had a long beard and eyebrows that hung over her eyes.

— Bit će tečna kao malo tusto janje.
Što ćemo omastiti brke! I poteže goli nož, koji zasja da te groza hvatala.

“She is as good as a little lamb; how nice she will taste!” and as she said this, she drew forth a shining knife, that glittered horribly.

— Jao! — ciknu stara razbojnica, jer je u isti čas njezina kćerkica koju nosaše na leñima, ugrize za uho tako divlje i bijesno da bijaše milina. — Ti gnusno dijete! — rasrdi se majka i ne stiže zaklati Gerdu.

“Oh!” screamed the old woman the same moment; for her own daughter, who held her back, had bitten her in the ear. She was a wild and naughty girl, and the mother called her an ugly thing, and had not time to kill Gerda.

— Hoću da se sa mnom igra! — propiskuta razbojnička djevojčica. — Mora mi dati svoj kolčak, svoju lijepu haljinu, mora spavati kraj mene, u mojoj postelji. Rekavši to, opet je ugrize za uho, tako da je stara razbojnica poskočila uvis i počela se vrtjeti, a razbojnici se grohotom smijali govoreći:
— Gledaj kako pleše sa svojom djevojčicom!

“She shall play with me,” said the little robber-girl; “she shall give me her muff and her pretty dress, and sleep with me in my bed.” And then she bit her mother again, and made her spring in the air, and jump about; and all the robbers laughed, and said, “See how she is dancing with her young cub.”

— Hoću u kočiju! — opet će razbojničko dijete, te provede svoju volju, jer bješe veoma razmaženo i tvrdoglavo.

“I will have a ride in the coach,” said the little robber-girl; and she would have her own way; for she was so self-willed and obstinate.

I sjede do Gerde u kočiju, pa se tako povezoše preko panjeva i grmlja sve dublje u šumu. Razbojnička djevojčica bijaše kolika i Gerda, ali jača, širih ramena i tamnije kože. Oči joj sasvim crne, gotovo tužne. Ona zagrli Gerdu govoreći joj:

She and Gerda seated themselves in the coach, and drove away, over stumps and stones, into the depths of the forest. The little robber-girl was about the same size as Gerda, but stronger; she had broader shoulders and a darker skin; her eyes were quite black, and she had a mournful look. She clasped little Gerda round the waist, and said,—

— Neće te zaklati sve dokle se ja ne razljutim na te. Ti si sigurno kakva kraljevna.

“They shall not kill you as long as you don’t make us vexed with you. I suppose you are a princess.”

— Nisam — uzvrati Gerda te joj ispriča sve što se zbilo s njome i koliko voli maloga Kaya.

“No,” said Gerda; and then she told her all her history, and how fond she was of little Kay.

Razbojnička je djevojčica sasvim ozbiljno gledaše i kimaše glavom, a naposljetku joj opet reče:
— Neće te zaklati sve dokle se ja ne razljutim na te, a tada ću te sama zaklati.
I pošto Gerdi obrisa suze s očiju, zavuče obje ruke u lijepi kolčak koji bijaše tako mekan i topao.

The robber-girl looked earnestly at her, nodded her head slightly, and said, “They sha’nt kill you, even if I do get angry with you; for I will do it myself.” And then she wiped Gerda’s eyes, and stuck her own hands in the beautiful muff which was so soft and warm.

Najednom se kočija zaustavi: bijahu stigli na dvorište razbojničkog zamka. Zamak bijaše raspukao od vrha do dna, iz pukotina izlijetahu vrane i gavrani. Grdni psi, od kojih se svaki činio da bi mogao čovjeka progutati, počeše poskakivati, ali ni jedan ne zalaja, jer to bijaše zabranjeno.

The coach stopped in the courtyard of a robber’s castle, the walls of which were cracked from top to bottom. Ravens and crows flew in and out of the holes and crevices, while great bulldogs, either of which looked as if it could swallow a man, were jumping about; but they were not allowed to bark.

U golemoj, staroj i počañavjeloj dvorani nasred kamenog poda gori vatra; dim se povija pod svodom tražeći oduška; na vatri velik kotao — u njemu juha vri — a na ražnjevima vrte se zečevi i kunići.

In the large and smoky hall a bright fire was burning on the stone floor. There was no chimney; so the smoke went up to the ceiling, and found a way out for itself. Soup was boiling in a large cauldron, and hares and rabbits were roasting on the spit.

— Noćas ćeš spavati sa mnom, gdje su moje male životinje — kaza mala razbojnica.
Dobiše jela i pila, a pošto se nahraniše i napojiše, odoše u kut, gdje bijaše nametana slama, a po njoj prostirke.

“You shall sleep with me and all my little animals to-night,” said the robber-girl, after they had had something to eat and drink. So she took Gerda to a corner of the hall, where some straw and carpets were laid down.

Nad glavom im po letvama i prečkama na stotine golubova; činilo se da svi spavaju, no ipak se malo uzvrpoljiše kad su stigle djevojčice.

Above them, on laths and perches, were more than a hundred pigeons, who all seemed to be asleep, although they moved slightly when the two little girls came near them.

— Svi su moji! — kaza mala razbojnica pa odmah zgrabi najbližeg, uhvati ga za noge i njime potrese da je počeo krilima udarati.

“These all belong to me,” said the robber-girl; and she seized the nearest to her, held it by the feet, and shook it till it flapped its wings.

— Poljubi ga! — povika i prikuči ga Gerdi u lice.

“Kiss it,” cried she, flapping it in Gerda’s face.

— Ondje su šumski gadovi — nadoveza i pokaza gore na mnoštvo letava, iza kojih u udubini u zidu bijaše par divljih golubova.

“There sit the wood-pigeons,” continued she, pointing to a number of laths and a cage which had been fixed into the walls, near one of the openings.

— Da nisu zatvoreni, davno bi odletjeli.
— A ovo ti je moj stari, dragi Jelenko — i to govoreći povuče za rogove soba kojemu se oko vrata sjao bakarni lanac, jer bijaše privezan.

“Both rascals would fly away directly, if they were not closely locked up. And here is my old sweetheart ‘Ba;’” and she dragged out a reindeer by the horn; he wore a bright copper ring round his neck, and was tied up.

— Moramo ga držati privezana, jer bi nam odmah umaknuo. Svake ga večeri ispod vrata poškakljam svojim oštrim nožem, a on se toga strašno boji.

“We are obliged to hold him tight too, or else he would run away from us also. I tickle his neck every evening with my sharp knife, which frightens him very much.”

Iz pukotine u zidu izvuče dugačak nož te njime poče gladiti soba ispod grla. Jadna se životinja stade bacati nogama, a mala razbojnica udari u smijeh i povuče Gerdu u postelju.

And then the robber-girl drew a long knife from a chink in the wall, and let it slide gently over the reindeer’s neck. The poor animal began to kick, and the little robber-girl laughed, and pulled down Gerda into bed with her.

— Zar ćeš s tim nožem i spavati? — upita Gerda, plašljivo je gledajući.

“Will you have that knife with you while you are asleep?” asked Gerda, looking at it in great fright.

— Uvijek spavam s nožem u ruci! — uzvrati mala razbojnica. — Nikad ne znaš što može biti. Ali, kazuj mi opet što si mi prije pričala o malom Kayu i zašto si se zaputila u bijeli svijet.

“I always sleep with the knife by me,” said the robber-girl. “No one knows what may happen. But now tell me again all about little Kay, and why you went out into the world.”

I Gerda joj poče kazivati sve iz početka, a divlji golubovi gukahu gore u krletki, dok ostali spavahu.

Then Gerda repeated her story over again, while the wood-pigeons in the cage over her cooed, and the other pigeons slept.

Mala je razbojnica ovila ruku Gerdi oko vrata, a u drugoj stisnula nož i spavala da se orilo. Gerda ne mogaše ni oka sklopiti — ne znañaše, jadnica, što je čeka: život ili smrt.

The little robber-girl put one arm across Gerda’s neck, and held the knife in the other, and was soon fast asleep and snoring. But Gerda could not close her eyes at all; she knew not whether she was to live or die.

Razbojnici posjedali oko vatre te piju i pjevaju, a stara se razbojnica premeće.

The robbers sat round the fire, singing and drinking, and the old woman stumbled about.

Da užasna li prizora za nježnu djevojčicu!

It was a terrible sight for a little girl to witness.

Sada divlji golubovi zagukaše:
— Gu-u-gu! Vidjeli smo malog Kaya. Bijela mu koka saonice vukla, a on sjedio sa Snježnom kraljicom u njezinim saonama; provezli se odmah iznad šume dok smo još u gnijezdu ležali. Sve nas je, male ptiće, svojim strašnim dahom zadahnula, te svi pogiboše do nas dvoje. Gu-ugu!

Then the wood-pigeons said, “Coo, coo; we have seen little Kay. A white fowl carried his sledge, and he sat in the carriage of the Snow Queen, which drove through the wood while we were lying in our nest. She blew upon us, and all the young ones died excepting us two. Coo, coo.”

— Što vi to gore kazujete? — doviknu im Gerda. — Kamo je to išla Snježna kraljica? Je li vam štogod o tome znano?

“What are you saying up there?” cried Gerda. “Where was the Snow Queen going? Do you know anything about it?”

— Išla je zacijelo u Laponsku, jer je ondje vječni snijeg i led. Pitaj samo toga soba što je tu privezan.

“She was most likely travelling to Lapland, where there is always snow and ice. Ask the reindeer that is fastened up there with a rope.”

— Ondje je snijeg i led, ono je divan, blagoslovljen kraj! — uzdahnu sob. — Ondje slobodno naokolo skačeš, juriš preko velikih, blistavih dolina! Tamo je Snježna kraljica razapela svoj ljetni šator, ali su njezini dvori gore više prema Sjevernom polu, na otoku koji se zove Spitsberg.

“Yes, there is always snow and ice,” said the reindeer; “and it is a glorious place; you can leap and run about freely on the sparkling ice plains. The Snow Queen has her summer tent there, but her strong castle is at the North Pole, on an island called Spitzbergen.”

— O, Kayu, mali Kayu! — uzdisaše Gerda.

“Oh, Kay, little Kay!” sighed Gerda.

— Ta budi mirna i spavaj! — progovori mala razbojnica — jer ću ti zabosti nož u grudi!

“Lie still,” said the robber-girl, “or I shall run my knife into your body.”

Ujutro Gerda razbojničkoj djevojčici ispriča sve što joj divlji golubovi rekoše, a mala se razbojnica uozbilji, kimnu glavom i reče:
— Ta opet je isto! Kakve koristi!
— Znaš li gdje je Laponska? — upita soba.

In the morning Gerda told her all that the wood-pigeons had said; and the little robber-girl looked quite serious, and nodded her head, and said, “That is all talk, that is all talk. Do you know where Lapland is?” she asked the reindeer.

— Tko bi to znao bolje od mene! — uzvrati sjeverni jelen, a oči mu se zakrijesiše. — Ondje sam došao na svijet i odrastao, ondje sam skakao po snježnim ravnicama.

“Who should know better than I do?” said the animal, while his eyes sparkled. “I was born and brought up there, and used to run about the snow-covered plains.”

— Čuj! — reći će razbojnička djevojčica Gerdi. — Kako vidiš, svi su naši muškarci otišli, samo je majka kod kuće, te će i ostati; no kasnije će, za doručak, potegnuti iz velike čuture i malo podrijemati, a onda ću ja već nešto za te učiniti.

“Now listen,” said the robber-girl; “all our men are gone away,— only mother is here, and here she will stay; but at noon she always drinks out of a great bottle, and afterwards sleeps for a little while; and then, I’ll do something for you.”

Nato skoči iz postelje, obisnu majci oko vrata i potegavši je za bradu reče:
— Dobro jutro, draga moja kozo!

Then she jumped out of bed, clasped her mother round the neck, and pulled her by the beard, crying, “My own little nanny goat, good morning.”

A mati je čvrknu po nosu da je pocrvenio i pomodrio, ali to bijaše od puke dragosti i ljubavi.

Then her mother filliped her nose till it was quite red; yet she did it all for love.

Pošto je mati potegla iz svoje čuture i malo zadrijemala, mala razbojnica ode jelenu pa mu reče:
— Rado bih te još koji put oštrim nožem poškakljala ispod vrata, jer si onda tako smiješan, ali svejedno: odvezat ću te i pomoći ti da odeš u svoju Laponsku; ali treba da valjano grabiš i da ovu djevojčicu odneseš u dvore Snježne kraljice, u kojima boravi njezin drug u igri.

When the mother had drunk out of the bottle, and was gone to sleep, the little robber-maiden went to the reindeer, and said, “I should like very much to tickle your neck a few times more with my knife, for it makes you look so funny; but never mind,—I will untie your cord, and set you free, so that you may run away to Lapland; but you must make good use of your legs, and carry this little maiden to the castle of the Snow Queen, where her play-fellow is.

Ta valjda si čuo što je pripovijedala, jer je dobrano glasno govorila, a ti znaš prisluškivati.

You have heard what she told me, for she spoke loud enough, and you were listening.”

Sob poskoči uvis od radosti. Mala razbojnica podiže Gerdu na nj; bijaše oprezna te je čvrsto veza da ne padne, i još joj dade jastučić da joj bude mekše.

Then the reindeer jumped for joy; and the little robber-girl lifted Gerda on his back, and had the forethought to tie her on, and even to give her her own little cushion to sit on.

— Evo, nek ti bude — reče joj. — Uzmi svoje krznene čizme, jer će biti zima. Kolčak ću zadržati, jer je zaista lijep. Ali ipak nećeš zepsti, jer evo ti velikih rukavica moje majke: sezat će ti do lakta. Ded navuci ih! Eto si sada po rukama nalik na moju ružnu majku.

“Here are your fur boots for you,” said she; “for it will be very cold; but I must keep the muff; it is so pretty. However, you shall not be frozen for the want of it; here are my mother’s large warm mittens; they will reach up to your elbows. Let me put them on. There, now your hands look just like my mother’s.”

Gerda plakaše od radosti.

But Gerda wept for joy.

— Ne trpim da plačeš! — odsiječe mala razbojnica. — Sada bi se morala veseliti. Na, evo ti dva kruha i butina, da ne budeš gladna.

“I don’t like to see you fret,” said the little robber-girl; “you ought to look quite happy now; and here are two loaves and a ham, so that you need not starve.”

Oboje priveza straga na soba. Mala razbojnica otvori vrata, dozva velike psine unutra, prereza nožem konop i doviknu sobu:
— Bježi sad i pazi na djevojčicu!

These were fastened on the reindeer, and then the little robber-maiden opened the door, coaxed in all the great dogs, and then cut the string with which the reindeer was fastened, with her sharp knife, and said, “Now run, but mind you take good care of the little girl.”

Gerda ispruži obje ruke u velikim rukavicama i pozdravi se s malom razbojnicom, a sob poteče kroz veliku šumu brže što je ikad mogao te pojuri preko grmlja i šikarja, preko močvara i stepa.

And then Gerda stretched out her hand, with the great mitten on it, towards the little robber-girl, and said, “Farewell,” and away flew the reindeer, over stumps and stones, through the great forest, over marshes and plains, as quickly as he could.

Zavijahu vuci, a gavrani graktahu. Lako pucketanje čulo se u zraku — nebo se osu crvenilom.

The wolves howled, and the ravens screamed; while up in the sky quivered red lights like flames of fire.

— Evo moje stare sjeverne svjetlosti! — uskliknu sob. — Gledaj kako blista!
A onda poletje još brže, ne zastajući ni danju ni noću. Nestade kruha i butine — stigoše u Laponsku.

“There are my old northern lights,” said the reindeer; “see how they flash.” And he ran on day and night still faster and faster, but the loaves and the ham were all eaten by the time they reached Lapland.

Šesta priča — Laponka i Čuhonka

Sixth Story: The Lapland Woman and the Finland Woman

Zaustaviše se kraj neke male kuće. Bješe to jadna koliba: krov joj se spustio do zemlje, a vrata joj tako niska da su ljudi morali puzati kad bi ulazili ili izlazili.

They stopped at a little hut; it was very mean looking; the roof sloped nearly down to the ground, and the door was so low that the family had to creep in on their hands and knees, when they went in and out.

U kući ne bijaše nikoga doli stare Laponke što je kraj svjetiljke uljanice ribu pržila.
Sob pripovjedi Laponki cijelu Gerdinu povijest, ali tek pošto je najprije svoju ispričao, jer mu se njegova činila važnijom. Gerda se sva ukočila od studeni, te ne mogaše ni riječi izustiti.

There was no one at home but an old Lapland woman, who was cooking fish by the light of a train-oil lamp. The reindeer told her all about Gerda’s story, after having first told his own, which seemed to him the most important, but Gerda was so pinched with the cold that she could not speak.

— Kukavci moji! — kaza Laponka. — Još vam valja mnogo putovati; morate prijeći više od sto milja da stignete na visočje Finmarka, gdje stoluje Snježna kraljica i gdje svake večeri modri oganj pali.

“Oh, you poor things,” said the Lapland woman, “you have a long way to go yet. You must travel more than a hundred miles farther, to Finland. The Snow Queen lives there now, and she burns Bengal lights every evening.

Napisat ću vam nekoliko riječi na suhom bakalaru, jer nemam papira, pa ga gore predajte Čuhonki, koja će vas bolje uputiti negoli ja.

I will write a few words on a dried stock-fish, for I have no paper, and you can take it from me to the Finland woman who lives there; she can give you better information than I can.”

Kad se Gerda ugrijala, te pošto se nahranila i napila, Laponka napisa nekoliko riječi na sušenom bakalaru i kaza djevojčici da pazi na pismo, pa je smjesti i priveza na soba, a Jelenko opet pojuri.

So when Gerda was warmed, and had taken something to eat and drink, the woman wrote a few words on the dried fish, and told Gerda to take great care of it. Then she tied her again on the reindeer, and he set off at full speed.

Pucketalo u zraku, a krasna modrikasta svjetlost plamsala cijele noći. Stigoše u Finmark i zakucaše Čuhonki na dimnjak, jer ne imaše vrata.

Flash, flash, went the beautiful blue northern lights in the air the whole night long. And at length they reached Finland, and knocked at the chimney of the Finland woman’s hut, for it had no door above the ground.

Unutra bila tolika vrućina da je Čuhonka išla gotovo naga; bješe malena i veoma prljava.

They crept in, but it was so terribly hot inside that that woman wore scarcely any clothes; she was small and very dirty looking.

Ona odmah Gerdi svuče haljine, rukavice i čizmice da joj ne bude odveć vruće, a jelenu stavi komad leda na glavu, te počne čitati što na bakalaru bijaše napisano.

She loosened little Gerda’s dress, and took off the fur boots and the mittens, or Gerda would have been unable to bear the heat; and then she placed a piece of ice on the reindeer’s head, and read what was written on the dried fish.

Pročita do tri puta, tako te znade napamet, a onda ribu baci u kotao, jer se lijepo mogla pojesti, a u Čuhonke se nije rasipalo.

After she had read it three times, she knew it by heart, so she popped the fish into the soup saucepan, as she knew it was good to eat, and she never wasted anything.

Sada sob najprije ispriča svoju povijest, a onda Gerdinu. Čuhonka žmirkaše svojim pametnim očima, ali ništa ne reče.

The reindeer told his own story first, and then little Gerda’s, and the Finlander twinkled with her clever eyes, but she said nothing.

— Ti si tako pametna — kaza sob. — Znam da možeš sve vjetrove svijeta jednim koncem svezati:2 kada brodar odriješi jedan čvor, eto mu pogodna vjetra; odveže li drugi, oštro zapuše; odriješi li treći i četvrti, obori se oluja što stabla iz korijena čupa.

“You are so clever,” said the reindeer; “I know you can tie all the winds of the world with a piece of twine. If a sailor unties one knot, he has a fair wind; when he unties the second, it blows hard; but if the third and fourth are loosened, then comes a storm, which will root up whole forests.

Ne bi li htjela ovoj djevojčici dati napitak da dobije snagu dvanaestorice 3 i da svlada Snježnu kraljicu?

Cannot you give this little maiden something which will make her as strong as twelve men, to overcome the Snow Queen?”

— Snagu dvanaestorice? — začudi se Čuhonka. — Ništa joj ne bi koristilo.

“The Power of twelve men!” said the Finland woman; “that would be of very little use.”

I priñe polici, skide s nje veliku, smotanu kožu i razmota je. U njoj bijahu ispisana čudnovata slova. Čuhonka se u nju zadubi te čitaše i čitaše da joj je sve kapao znoj sa čela.

But she went to a shelf and took down and unrolled a large skin, on which were inscribed wonderful characters, and she read till the perspiration ran down from her forehead.

Sob je sveudilj moljaše za malu Gerdu, koja u nju upiraše oči pune suza i molbi, te Čuhonka i opet poče žmirkati. Povuče soba u kut i ondje mu, pošto mu izmijeni led na glavi, stade šaptati:

But the reindeer begged so hard for little Gerda, and Gerda looked at the Finland woman with such beseeching tearful eyes, that her own eyes began to twinkle again; so she drew the reindeer into a corner, and whispered to him while she laid a fresh piece of ice on his head,

— Mali je Kay doista kod Snježne kraljice; sasvim je zadovoljan i misli da nigdje na svijetu nije onako lijepo; to dolazi odatle što mu je zrnce staklovine zašlo u srce, a trunak mu sitan još oko natrunio. Valja mu najprije odande ukloniti staklovinu, jer ako se ne izvadi, od njega nikad više pravog čovjeka, a Snježna će kraljica čuvati moć nad njim.

“Little Kay is really with the Snow Queen, but he finds everything there so much to his taste and his liking, that he believes it is the finest place in the world; but this is because he has a piece of broken glass in his heart, and a little piece of glass in his eye. These must be taken out, or he will never be a human being again, and the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.”

— Zar ne možeš maloj Gerdi dati štogod 4 čime bi sve to nadvladala?

“But can you not give little Gerda something to help her to conquer this power?”

— Ne mogu joj dati veće moći nego što je već ima. Zar ne vidiš kolika je u nje moć? Zar ne vidiš kako joj moraju služiti i ljudi i životinje? Zar ne vidiš koliko je, sve onako bosa, po svijetu prošla?

“I can give her no greater power than she has already,” said the woman; “don’t you see how strong that is? How men and animals are obliged to serve her, and how well she has got through the world, barefooted as she is.

Neće ona u nas snage smoći, niti joj je mi možemo dati; moć je u njezinu srcu, ondje ona snagu smâže, jer je milo, nevino dijete.

She cannot receive any power from me greater than she now has, which consists in her own purity and innocence of heart.

Ne uzmogne li sama Snježnoj kraljici stići i malome Kayu izvaditi staklovinu, u nas joj slaba pomoć.

If she cannot herself obtain access to the Snow Queen, and remove the glass fragments from little Kay, we can do nothing to help her.

Dvije milje odavde počinje vrt Snježne kraljice. Odnesi onamo djevojčicu i ostavi je kad doñeš do velikog grma što s crvenim bobicama u snijegu stoji. Ne troši riječi, već pojuri da se što prije ovamo vratiš!

Two miles from here the Snow Queen’s garden begins; you can carry the little girl so far, and set her down by the large bush which stands in the snow, covered with red berries. Do not stay gossiping, but come back here as quickly as you can.”

I Čuhonka podiže malu Gerdu na soba, koji pojuri što je bolje mogao.

Then the Finland woman lifted little Gerda upon the reindeer, and he ran away with her as quickly as he could.